ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½

Series Description: In this three-part series, we'll explore the policies and shocks that shape our economic world. The first session dives into the economics of tariffs, followed by an inside look at how the Federal Reserve works, and concludes with economic lessons from the pandemic focusing on changes to the labor market and government support. Each session combines data, theory, and real-world examples to help make sense of the complex issues driving today's headlines.

Series Information: Tuesdays, October 7, 14 & 21, 2025, 10:00-11:45 a.m., OEC Auditorium, University of St. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Series Speaker: Dr. Tyler Schipper is an associate ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ of economics at the University of St. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½, specializing in macroeconomics with a focus on growth and development. He has published his research on economic development and real-time forecasting in top economic journals such as the Journal of Development Economics and Applied Economic Letters. Dr. Schipper actively engages with business and civic groups, delivering accessible talks on the state of the local and national economy, the Federal Reserve, and economic policy. He is a frequent media commentator, appearing in media from Minnesota Live and the Star Tribune to CNN and NPR's Marketplace. His ability to break down complex economic ideas into clear, digestible explanations has made him a trusted voice in public discussions on the economy.

Fee for the series: $75.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Program Sessions:

• October 7: The Economics of Tariffs: Past, Present, and Future
• October 14: The Federal Reserve, Policy Independence, and Why they Matter
• October 21: The Knowns and Unknowns of Economic Policy during the Pandemic

Event Description: This event, the first in the Selim Center's new "Tools for Discovery" series, introduces skills for finding culture in the world around us. How does culture appear in landscapes and built environments, in language, and in social interaction? How can reading culture help us to know our world - and the people within it - better? Three faculty from the American Culture and Difference program will take an interdisciplinary approach to a common question: what does it mean to see culture produced and reflected in everyday life?

Event Information: Tuesday, October 14, 2025, 1:00-2:45 p.m., OEC Auditorium, University of St. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Event Speakers:biographies forthcoming

Fee for the event: $25.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Event Description: Instead of a traditional send off for her retirement from UST, the Selim Center's music maven, Susan Anderson-Benson, is doing a farewell lecture-performance titled "Rhapsodies" that you won't want to miss. She'll take the OEC stage for a final time on October 21 to benefit the Selim Center at UST, where she's worked as its champion for more than 20 years. The cost of admission is a donation in her honor to the Selim Center, with all proceeds going toward the Center's Tommie Give Day goal. The event will explore the concept of rhapsody in music and will feature several important rhapsodic works, including Gershwin and Queen, plus a live performance of a Brahms rhapsody for piano. Registration accepted only by advance mail-in paper registration or at the door the day of the event, and only by check or cash (checks payable to the University of St. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½). Let's make her 25th and final event for the Center an afternoon to remember while helping the Center continue to thrive after she's gone! Suggested donation $20; any amount welcome.

Event Information: Tuesday, October 21, 2025, 1:00-2:45 p.m., OEC Auditorium, University of St. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Event Speaker:Susan Anderson-Benson will retire as the Selim Center's Program Manager on November 14, 2025 after more than 20 years in the role, making her the 3rd longest serving employee of the Center. [Dr. Mohamed Selim, Director (1973-2004; 31 years) & Sr. Marie Herbert Seiter (Assistant Director 1978-2004; Director 2004-2009; 31 years) are the only longer serving staff members of the Center.] Susan brings to the stage 51 years of experience as a studio and classroom music instructor, plus as a performer. Her passion is to share the story behind the music so learners can better appreciate what goes into a musical work.

Fee for the event: A donation to the Selim Center. Suggested donation $20; any amount welcome.

Registration for this event is only by mail or at the door the day of the event. To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Series Description: This series explores some of the issues that are covered in introductory classes to the New Testament that employ the critical method of biblical study. Among the topics covered will be the dating of the gospels, christological implications of the portrayal of Jesus on film, and the differences between critical analysis of Scripture and the fundamentalist interpretation of the Bible.

Series Information: Thursdays, October 9, 23 & 30, 2025, 10:00-11:45 a.m., OEC Auditorium, University of St. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available (no session on October 16)

Series Speaker: David Landry earned his B.A. in Religious Studies from the College of Holy Cross (1985), and his M.A. (1989) and Ph.D. (1992) in Religion from Vanderbilt University, specializing in the New Testament. He is the author of Inquiry into the New Testament and co-author of The Christian Theological Tradition, as well as numerous journal articles and book chapters. He has taught at the University of St. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ his entire career. He is currently in his 35th year at UST.

Fee for the series: $75.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Program Sessions:

• October 9: When Were the Gospels Written? Techniques for Dating Ancient Literature and Their Application to the Bible
• No session on October 16
• October 23: Jesus on Film: A Comparative Analysis Using the Cleansing of the Temple as a Test Case
• October 30: What's Wrong with Fundamentalism? A Critique of Evangelical Approaches to the Bible

Series Description: This three-part series explores the frontiers of brain science and healthy aging. Participants will learn how cognitive function changes over time and what lifestyle factors - such as exercise, nutrition, and mental activity - can support long-term brain health. Each session will include accessible scientific insights, practical strategies, and group discussion, and is ideal for anyone interested in aging well and staying mentally sharp.

Series Information: Thursdays, October 9, 23 & 30, 2025, 1:00-2:45 p.m., OEC Auditorium, University of St. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available (no session on October 16)

Series Speaker: Ben Denkinger, Ph.D., is an associate ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ at Augsburg University in Minneapolis, MN, with a background in cognitive and biological psychology. He is a long-time presenter at the Selim Center, and his research interests cover a wide range of topics including memory for faces, intergenerational relationships and social connection, the use of polygraph in criminal interrogation, and neural predictors of substance use disorder.

Fee for the series: $75.00 per person

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

Program Sessions:

• October 9: In this session, we will review the differences between normal aging processes and pathological aging. We will set a foundation for the lecture series by outlining the major cognitive domains that are affected by the aging process (memory, attention, processing speed) to help explore the kinds of changes that are part of the typical aging process, and how these skills are evaluated by pathologists.
• No session on October 16
• October 23: For our second session, we will unpack the "best practices" recommended for healthy aging to better understand how everyday behavior impacts brain function (and vice versa!). We will discuss new findings on the impact of physical activity, nutrition, cognitive resilience and cognitive reserve, social connection, and stress management on healthy aging.
• October 30: In our final session, we conclude our review of the best practive recommendations for healthy aging. Then, we will discuss the practical strategies that can be implemented at any age to help improve one's quality of life and maximize your potential for a healthy brain.

Event Description: One year after the re-election of Donald Trump to a second presidential term some are hopeful yet others fearful about the fate of American democracy and politics. This lecture examines the present and future direction of the Trump presidency and what it means for American democracy and the role of the US in the world.

Event Information: Friday, November 7 2025, 11:45 a.m.-1:30 p.m., Anderson Student Center Woulfe Alumni Hall, University of St. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½ St. Paul Campus; online live-simulcast via Zoom also available

Event Speaker: David Schultz is Hamline University Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Legal Studies and an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of St. ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½. A four-time Fulbright scholar, David is the author of more than 45 books and 200 articles on various aspects of US politics and law.

Fee for the event: $45.00 per person; registration deadline for this event is October 28 for the in-person version due to catering requirements; please also be sure to make any dietary requirements when you register to assure we can accommodate your needs.

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

To pay by mail, using check or cash, please use this printable registration form: Printable Registration Form

The fifteenth annual We March for Justice (WMFJ) intergenerational learning trip to study the history, human experiences, and legacies of the Civil Rights movement will depart in January 2026. Students - both early-career learners and lifelong learners from the Selim Center - will explore the history and landscape of race and democracy in America through field experiences, museum visits, readings, films, encounters with movement foot soldiers, and class discussions.

WMFJ is more than a trip. It is an experience that engages the body, mind, and spirit. Participants may find themselves in the living room of a Civil Rights trailblazer, standing at the sties where history unfolded, or meeting artists and leaders whose work continues to shape the story of resilience and justice today.

Trip itinerary, dates & costs appear below:

• January 12-13: Arrive in Memphis, TN
  • Sites: National Civil Rights Museum, Clayborne Temple Community Restoration Project, Slave Haven Museum
  • People: Ms. Elaine Turner, Rep. Justin Pearson, Rev. Jason Pearson, Dr. Kimberly Pearson, Ms. Anasa Trautman
• January 14: Glendora, MS:
  • Sites: Emmett Till "Trail of Terror," Sumner County Courthouse, ETHIC
  • People: Mayor Johnny ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½
• January 15-17: Jackson, MS
  • Sites: Smith-Robertson Museum of African American Culture, Mississippi History/Civil Rights Museum, Canton, Tougaloo College
  • People: Ms. Flonzie Goodloe Brown Wright
• January 18: Selma, AL
  • Sites: Brown's Chapel; Edmund Pettis Bridge; National Voting Rights Museum
  • People: Ms. Joyce Parrish O'Neal
• January 18-20: Montgomery, AL
  • Sites: The Legacy Museum; National Memorial for Peace and Justice: Freedom Monument Park; Mothers of Gynecology Park
  • People: Ms. Michelle Browder; Mr. Chapman Curtis Browders
• January 21: Oxford, MS
  • Sites: James Meredith Memorial; University of Mississippi
• January 22: Memphis, TN - return flights to MSP

Fee for the event: $3,000.00 per person, exclusive of airfare; priority registration due October 31, 2025.

Travel arrangements to/from Memphis are up to each person, but those wishing to travel as a group are welcome to book their airfare and itinerary with the undergraduates and faculty.

Please direct all inquiries to Prof. David Williard (dwilliard@stthomas.edu) or Prof. Todd Lawrence (tlawrence@stthomas.edu).

To register on-line with a credit card on our secure page, please visit our

If you prefer to pay by check, please contact the Selim Center (selimcenter@stthomas.edu)